US-South Korea Holds Military Exercise, North Korea Tests Cruise Missile Launch from Destroyer

JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test-fire of a strategic cruise missile from the Choe Hyon Destroyer, state media reported Wednesday, as South Korea and the United States began annual spring military exercises.

The North Korean leader observed the test via video on Tuesday, stressing the importance of maintaining and expanding "a strong and reliable nuclear war deterrent," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Photos published by state media showed Kim Jong-un's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, also overseeing the test.

This latest test comes as the US and South Korea began Freedom Shield exercises on Monday that run for 11 days. Pyongyang has long denounced the allies' joint military drills as rehearsals for an invasion, although Washington and Seoul say the exercises are defensive in nature.

KCNA said the launched cruise missile flew along a flight orbit over the Yellow Sea for 10,116-10,138 seconds and hit the designated target.

"Our war deterrent components are now incorporated into a highly sophisticated operational system effectively and continuously accelerated, and the country's nuclear force has shifted to a multi-faceted operational phase," Leader Kim said, quoted by KCNA, reported by The Korea Times (11/3).

The North Korean leader expressed satisfaction that the test verified the "reliability of the national integrated control system of strategic weapons and the superiority of the destroyer integrated combat system."

Leader Kim also raised the need to check the military efficiency of automatic weapons of the navy installed on warships and conveyed tasks of strengthening the navy's strength, KCNA reported.

"It is more advantageous to improve anti-ship warfare and strategic attack capabilities by equipping high-speed warships under 3,000 tons with naval automatic cannons and also installing supersonic weapon systems in place of those cannons on 5,000-ton and 8,000-ton destroyers in the future," explained Leader Kim.

North Korea conducted a similar test of a strategic cruise missile from the destroyer last week ahead of its commissioning.

Pyongyang's reference to "strategic" weapons suggests that they may have nuclear capabilities.

North Korea launched the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon Destroyer in April last year, as part of efforts to boost its naval strength.

Pyongyang claims the destroyer is equipped with supersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and other attack means.

After launching another 5,000-ton destroyer, Kang Kon, in June 2025, Leader Kim ordered the construction of a third destroyer of the same class on the anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea this year on October 10.